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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — to point toward
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com